Beautiful
by Disciple Of The Dragon Star
Summary: During a fight with some Hollows, Ichigo's own Hollow interrupts and shows him something in Rukia that he has never really appreciated before.


**Disciple here.**

**So the writers block seems to be more determined to ruin my life than my ex-girlfriend. Never mind. I finally managed to write something.**

**Whether it has been a successful effort is up to you, my valuable readers. Please read and review. If you review, I get better at writing, hence you enjoy reading the stories I produce. Therefore, reviewing is a process that is constructive for the both of us. :)**

**This fic could be construed as Ichiruki. Up to you.**

**Beautiful**

_**Beautiful.**_

Ichigo flinches, the tip of his zanpakutou wavering in front of him as he watches Rukia fight the Hollow. She is bleeding from a cut, her face streaked with grime and worse and her hair is in total disarray. Her dark eyes are slitted in concentration. He feels a sudden worry for her - these Hollows are powerful and he has to help her finish them off otherwise -

"Kono yaro," he curses. What do you want? I'm busy!"

His Hollow chuckles and the zanpakutou seems to vibrate with the dark sound.

_**I'm telling you that she is beautiful.**_

The Shinigami-daiko watches as Rukia cuts through the mask of the first hollow, splitting it open with a splintering sound like wood being cut through. She whirls around to face the second. This one's reiatsu is a bit more powerful than the first and he moves to help her - damn his Hollow/zanpakutou for distracting him in the first place -

_**NO! Watch. Let her be. **_

Band of force seem to emanate from his sword and lock him in place. It feels familiar to the binding kidou that Rukia had used on him long ago but -

Why was his Hollow doing this? Was he trying to get Rukia killed?

He fights desperately against his confinement, pushing against the invisible fetters that bind him with all his strength.

Rukia notices his silent struggle and whirls around to scream something incoherently. He can't hear her over the ruckus the Hollow is making. A fist pounds within a hair's breadth of her small frame - she leaps out of the way and lands safely behind the creature. The battle continues.

He even tries arguing with the thing inside him - ridiculous really, he's being held hostage by his own zanpakutou!

"You're being disgusting about her now LET ME HELP HER DAMMIT -"

He stops breathing as the Hollow smashes its fist into the small SHinigami and swats her away as if she were a gnat or a fly. She crashes into the ground in front of him.

"RUKIA!"

he wants to go - he must help her - he has to protect -

She struggles to her feet, her face set like stone. Their eyes meet briefly. He does not know if she sees the struggle in his mind. He thinks she does.

She turnes away.

"Mai, Sode no Shirayuki."

Brilliant white light erupts around her and the temperature abruptly drops below freezing. Ichigo's harsh panting becomes puffs of dancing crystals, glittering in front of his nose as Rukai whirls her glowing zanpakutou around in a deadly dance.

"Some no Mai - Tsukishiro!"

In the instant before the Hollow is obliterated, Ichigo sees her.

It is a revelation, seeing her like this. How his Hollow must see her. How he has always seen her.

Rukia standing in front of him like a shield, her own blood frozen to her cheeks like war paint. In the brilliant incandescence of her attack she looks like a terrible, living sculpture of raw, unearthly beauty. Her expression is cut from ice, her eyes empty of everything but determination.

_**I told ya King. What you saw was blood, sweat and death. You only wanted to protect her. Protect her! You blinded yourself you fool, you blind fool with your only desire to protect people and not to realise what they do to protect you... **_

_**I saw her King. **_

_**I see her now. I see her desire to protect, I see her heart.**_

_**Right there oh He who Protects is your protector.**_

_**Isn't she beautiful?**_

The last of the ice melts away as the raspy doubled voice of his Hollow dies away in his head. Ichigo blinks.

Rukia sheaths her sword and turns to him. Ichigo becomes aware that he is free again and braces himself for the inevitable scolding that will surely be beaten into his skull -

Rukia does no such thing. Instead she looks at him worriedly as if she can see the aftermath of the strange incident that happened during their fight. Maybe he will tell her. Give some klind of explanation. Later.

"Ichigo are you hurt?"

He looks down at her. She is no longer the ice warrior he saw only moments ago. He looks at her, at the blood, the grime and the overhwelming concern.

Yes. Yes she is.

She's beautiful.

**FIN**

**Thank you for reading. **

**Please leave a review. I am a review vampire. **


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